How do I book Rafe Esquith to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Rafe Esquith for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Rafe Esquith, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Rafe Esquith or any other speaker of your choice.

What are the speaker fees for Rafe Esquith

Speaking fees for Rafe Esquith, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Rafe Esquith are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Rafe Esquith, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Rafe Esquith speak about?

Rafe Esquith is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include College, Culture, Education, Education Reform, Educational Motivational, Family & Parenting, Government, Inspirational, Leadership, Motivational

Who is Rafe Esquith's agent?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Rafe Esquith for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Rafe Esquith for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker's or celebrity's engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event's completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Rafe Esquith or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you're looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you're in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Rafe Esquith | Speaking Fee

Rafe Esquith Biography

Rafe Esquith, often regarded as one of America's most dedicated schoolteachers, has been shaping the minds of fifth graders at a public school in a challenging Los Angeles neighborhood for over two decades. His unique classroom environment at Hobart Elementary, known as Room 56, offers an unparalleled educational experience. Esquith's students, primarily immigrants or children of immigrants, commit to extended school hours from 6:30 AM to 5 PM. They engage not only in core subjects but also in enriching activities like playing Vivaldi and performing Shakespeare, achievements that have led many to prestigious universities.

Esquith's teaching approach combines rigorous academics with a broad cultural education, helping his students consistently score in the top one percent on standardized tests. His exceptional contribution to education has been recognized with the President's National Medal of the Arts, making him the only teacher to have received this honor. Additionally, he has been named National Teacher of the Year. Esteemed figures including Oprah, the Queen, and the Dalai Lama have also acknowledged his impactful work.

An established author, Esquith has penned several influential books including "Real Talk for Real Teachers," "Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire," "There Are No Shortcuts," and "Lighting Their Fires." His insights extend beyond the classroom through his participation in the PBS documentary "The Hobart Shakespeareans" and his delivery of a TED Talk titled "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Hobart Shakespeareans." In his presentations and books, Esquith offers an insider’s perspective on educational reform, underscoring the complexity of teaching and the critical role of family and socioeconomic background in student success. With his compelling narrative and dedication, Esquith continues to inspire educators and audiences around the globe to prioritize and transform education.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Rafe Esquith and other top speakers and celebrities.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 10/22/2024.

Rafe Esquith Speaking Topics

Education Reform: The Difficult Truth

In this talk, education speaker Rafe Esquith, America's most acclaimed public school teacher, gives a valuable • and oddly neglected • insider's perspective on education reform. In order to discuss reform, we need to accept an uncomfortable truth: that teaching has become an incredibly difficult job. Reformers are good people but they tend to oversimplify things. In their reasonable argument to hold teachers accountable, for example, they turn to test scores, which is not reasonable at all. Family, Esquith says, is the biggest, yet most often overlooked, factor in whether children will be good students. Poverty comes in at a close second. Until the reformers factor these issues into their solutions, they won't be successful. "If we want our children to commit to education," he says, "then we have to commit to educating them." With candor, good humor, and a mile-wide practical streak, Esquith offers alternatives and an emotional call • amid the noise, the hype, the politics, and even the anger • to keep the students front and center.
Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire

A joyfully creative and energetic teacher, education speaker Rafe Esquith delivers an unforgettable keynote • an informal state of education address • often accompanied by some of his students. He shares his methods for turning kids on to the wonder of learning, the power of the imagination, and the wealth of finding oneself. He touches on classroom issues (the best techniques for teaching various subjects, how to overcome budgetary constraints) and shows you how • by teaching them hard work, kindness, and the courage to go one's own way • his students have learned to adapt and to prosper in even the toughest of circumstances. Rafe Esquith is an upbeat, revitalizing speaker—a must-see for anyone concerned with the future success of our nation's children.

Overcoming the Racial/Economic Divide

Rafe Esquith teaches at Hobart Elementary School in a Los Angeles neighborhood plagued by poverty and violence. Ninety percent of Hobart's students qualify for free or reduced lunches. Nearly 80 percent of its students are Hispanic immigrants; 18 percent are Asian immigrants; and two percent are black. Few of Hobart's more than 1600 students speak English as a first language. Only 32 percent even finish high school. Hobart is just another example of how economic and racial divides affect tens of millions of people in the United States.

Yet Rafe Esquith's diverse fifth-grade students overcome language barriers and nonexistent funds to consistently score in the top five to 10 percent of the country in standardized tests and most go on to attend our most prestigious colleges and universities. How do they succeed in this poor and diverse environment? What has Esquith figured out to make this work when most struggle?

Real Talk for Real Teachers

Rafe Esquith shares words of wisdom and advice for those who struggle day to day in the world’s hardest profession. After thirty-plus years in the job, Esquith still puts in the countless classroom hours with which any dedicated educator will be instantly familiar. He recognizes that new teachers and veteran educators need different kinds of nourishment, whether it’s encouragement to see through the difficult early years, advice on midcareer team building, or novel ideas for how longtime educators can put their expertise to work. Mixing his trademark offbeat humor and no-nonsense maxims with instructive stories and useful in-class advice, Esquith proves the perfect companion for those who need a quick pick-me-up, a long heart-to-heart, or just a momentary reminder that they’re not alone. Esquith offers from-the-hip advice to help educators of every stripe cope with the overwhelming challenges in schools and beyond.

Rafe Esquith Videos

Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire - Rafe Esquith - YouTube
Rafe Esquith's real talk for real teachers - YouTube
Rafe Esquith The 6 Levels of Moral Development YouTube - YouTube

See All Videos »

Rafe Esquith Books

Real Talk for Real Teachers: Advice for Teachers from Rookies to Veterans: "No Retreat, No Surrender!"

FAQs on booking Rafe Esquith

How do I book Rafe Esquith to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Rafe Esquith for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Rafe Esquith, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Rafe Esquith or any other speaker of your choice.
What are the speaker fees for Rafe Esquith

Speaking fees for Rafe Esquith, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Rafe Esquith are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Rafe Esquith, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
What topics does Rafe Esquith speak about?

Rafe Esquith is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include College, Culture, Education, Education Reform, Educational Motivational, Family & Parenting, Government, Inspirational, Leadership, Motivational.
Where does Rafe Esquith travel from?

Rafe Esquith generally travels from Los Angeles, CA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
Who is Rafe Esquith’s agent?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Rafe Esquith for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Rafe Esquith for your next private or corporate function.
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Rafe Esquith or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Rafe Esquith is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Education Reform: The Difficult Truth, Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire, Overcoming the Racial/Economic Divide and Real Talk for Real Teachers. The estimated speaking fee range to book Rafe Esquith for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. Rafe Esquith generally travels from Los Angeles, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Hill Harper, Erin Gruwell, Victoria Rowell, Malaak Compton and Rosalind Wiseman. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Rafe Esquith for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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